Barbecued Beef Back Ribs Recipe

Ribs, Chops, Steaks, & Wings | Chronicle, 2010

Beef back ribs are the bones that the rib roast or rib-eye steaks come off of and they typically don’t have much meat on them. You’ll often see them in abundance around Christmas and New Year’s when people are buying a lot of rib roasts. They’re usually pretty cheap, and that’s a good thing because, like I said, there just isn’t much meat on them. And the meat needs a lot of cooking to make it tender. But when it’s cooked right, it’s really good meat, so it’s worth the effort. Wrapping the ribs in foil is essential to get them tender. If you’re the adventurous type, add a half cup of strongly brewed coffee to the package when you wrap the ribs. I think you’ll find it to be a pleasant surprise. Beef back ribs typically come in 4-to-6 bone pieces. You’ll need at least a pound of meat (2 to 3 bones) per person.–Ray Lampe

LC Meat Per Person Note

Um, 2 to 3 ribs per person? We’d wager to say that’s a fairly conservative estimate. We think you’ll need quite a lot more than that.

Hands-On Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 4 hours, 35 minutes | Serves 4

Want it? Click it.

Ingredients

For the rib rub #99
3/4 cup raw sugar, such as Sugar In The Raw
1/4 to 1/2 cup salt, depending on your tolerance for the stuff
1/4 cup paprika
2 tablespoons finely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
For the ribs
5 pounds beef back ribs
2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce

Directions

For the rib rub #99
1. Combine all of the ingredients. Mix well and take a taste. If it needs more salt, shake some in. The rub can be stored in an airtight container for up to several weeks. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Prepare the ribs
2. Peel the membrane off the back side of the ribs and discard it. (It tends to be sort of slippery. Try grabbing it with a paper towel and see if that helps.) Season the ribs liberally on both sides with some of the rib rub.
3. Prepare the grill for cooking over indirect heat at 250° F (121°C) using oak or hickory wood for flavor. Place the ribs, meaty-side up, directly on the cooking grate. Cook for 2 1/2 hours. Flip the ribs and cook for 30 more minutes.
4. Place a double layer of big sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil next to the grill and place the ribs on it, meaty-side up. Wrap up the ribs, sealing the package tightly. Return the ribs to the grill for 1 hour.
5. Transfer the packet of ribs to a platter. Raise the temp of the grill to 400°F (204°C) . Remove the ribs from the foil and return to the cooking grate. Brush with the sauce. Cook for 15 minutes. Flip the ribs, and brush with the sauce again. Repeat once more.
6. Place the ribs on a platter and serve with additional barbecue sauce, preferably warm, on the side.

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Chili Garlic Beef Ribs from The Hungry Mouse
Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Rib from David Lebovitz
Braised Short Ribs with Horseradish Gremolata and Pumpkin Orzo from Leite's Culinaria
Barbecued Baby Back Ribs from Leite's Culinaria